Automatic update titleblock

Hi guys

 

I am wondering if there is any way that the date, and the drawers name could be dynamic(?). So that if i change the date on none layout, it changes on them all. AND, maybe it is possible to make the drawing nr and revise-nr automatic for each layout?

 

To explain a bit how I use layouts and drawing nr’s: I usually draw everything in one drawing (cross-sections, façade(?) and floorplans), and create a whole bunch of layouts where I use viewports and find the section etc. that is meant for the specific layout. This means that when I have to revise on thing in the drawing, I have to change the date for every layout, and the revise-nr. I don’t want to do this

I want to type in the revise-nr one time, and then I want it to be automatic in the rest of the layouts. The same with the date.

 

Putting a screenshot up here so you maybe could understand what I mean. Everything on the screenshot is in Norwegian, but I guess you get the point

 

So, if you guys understand this, is it possible?

Utilize XREF's for your title blocks.

You can do what RobDraw mentioned or put some of the text inside of the title block (text that is consistent through all sheets). Any text being modified per sheet can be created an attribute.

Or place information attributes that relates to the project/dwg in model space and use a viewport in each layout that is overlapping the title block, Or the whole title block in model space viewed through a viewport in paperspace layouts, with just a few attributes in paper space that contain layout info.

Create custom fields, update from the drawing properties. Or use the Sheet Set Manager to manage your custom fields.

Use custom fields for information that will remain the same on every sheet and use DWGPROPS to edit them. Use attributes for information that will be sheet specific.

I vote for the xref'd title block & border. Whatever is changed will only have to be changed in one place except for the page numbers. Anything unique to a page will have to be left blank in the titleblock dwg file, to be filled in on the paperspace layout. Everything else will reload from the xref every time you open a dwg file.

 

This method will work best when under the project folder, there is a sub-folder for each drawing title, with both the main dwg file and the xref dwg file in it. Then, the same xref'ed title block can be inserted on each layout tab for one drawing. Any other drawing titles will have their own copy of the titleblock drawing in their sub-folder.

 

I use this method and I have found it critical to add the drawing title to the borderline and titleblock dwg name. Then, if it gets moved it won't overwrite any of the other titleblock drawings.

Why would you use an xref instead of a block?

If you need to change details halfway through a project an xref makes sure all instanties have the same information, with a block you would still need to go and find every copy of the block and update it locally. The xref itself would contain the project titleblock, at least that is how I see it.

Why would you use an xref instead of a block?

 

Personally, I've never understood the benefit of using an XREF over a block. My titleblocks have always been blocks, and I've always used fields for information that would be the same on every sheet (i.e. customer name, job location, job name, job number, etc.) and used attributes for sheet specific information (i.e. sheet number, sheet title, etc.). I've never had a problem with doing it this way, and I'm not saying that using XREF's for the titleblock is wrong, but I've just never had a need for it.

When working with large sets of drawings, XREFs are invaluable. I would not want to have to update 100 files, most of them with multiple layouts, just to add or change a piece of text. Even my small projects, 20 sheets or less, utilize XREFs. Fields sound like something I would like to use but I am using AutoCAD less and less these days.

Why would you use an xref instead of a block?

Because xrefs are saved as a separate entity, so any change to it will show in EVERY drawing it is attached to right away. Blocks only live within the drawing they are in, and changes in them only affect that one drawing. With an xref the OP can add revision dates and the like without even opening the actual drawing of the objects. As well, these changes can, and will automatically load to any drawing the xref is attached to.

 

In the Architectural world, one might have multiple dwg files for one structure, but each dwg file needs the same revision history in the title block..

 

Keeping an xref change from finding it's way to the other (wrong) drawing, is why you make a copy of the xref dwg named other_drawing_titleblock.dwg and insert that one into the other_drawing.dwg.

Because xrefs are saved as a separate entity, so any change to it will show in EVERY drawing it is attached to right away. Blocks only live within the drawing they are in, and changes in them only affect that one drawing. With an xref the OP can add revision dates and the like without even opening the actual drawing of the objects. As well, these changes can, and will automatically load to any drawing the xref is attached to.

 

In the Architectural world, one might have multiple dwg files for one structure, but each dwg file needs the same revision history in the title block..

 

Keeping an xref change from finding it's way to the other (wrong) drawing, is why you make a copy of the xref dwg named other_drawing_titleblock.dwg and insert that one into the other_drawing.dwg.

 

+1

 

I xref in a basic title block and I also xref in the logo. I have a block which is nothing but attributes that are unique to that drawing sheet only. I also xref in a project status drawing, as the project moves along you change that one file and it shows in all drawings.

 

Someone always changes their mind on the logo, etc., so you make the change one time and it will be in all the other drawings automatically.

Because xrefs are saved as a separate entity, so any change to it will show in EVERY drawing it is attached to right away. Blocks only live within the drawing they are in, and changes in them only affect that one drawing. With an xref the OP can add revision dates and the like without even opening the actual drawing of the objects. As well, these changes can, and will automatically load to any drawing the xref is attached to.

 

In the Architectural world, one might have multiple dwg files for one structure, but each dwg file needs the same revision history in the title block..

 

Keeping an xref change from finding it's way to the other (wrong) drawing, is why you make a copy of the xref dwg named other_drawing_titleblock.dwg and insert that one into the other_drawing.dwg.

You can make a script that will update all the blocks to whatever you need. Xref is also not a good option because if one thing changed on one title block, that doesn't mean it changed on another. If you have them all linked together with an xref, it would be a pain to go find the ones you didn't want to change. A block would be easier to work with IMO.

But that is the point an xref only contains the information that relates to one project that may change within the whole of that project

You can make a script that will update all the blocks to whatever you need. Xref is also not a good option because if one thing changed on one title block, that doesn't mean it changed on another. If you have them all linked together with an xref, it would be a pain to go find the ones you didn't want to change. A block would be easier to work with IMO.

 

With a little planning, a properly set-up title block (the way that steven-g suggested) is used, it doesn't get much easier. Why would you think that updating a block for a change to one text item or a logo in 100 files is easier than updating one file that gets referenced into 100 other files? It sounds like you have not used XREFs in this manner before.

I haven't seen the need for XREFs in my title blocks because I have scripts that I use to update 100s of drawings. I don't want to use XREF because if 10 out of 100 title blocks change, then you have to spend the time making sure that only those 10 changed and not all 100. With a script, I can pick the files I want to change which doesn't take long at all.

You can make a script that will update all the blocks to whatever you need. Xref is also not a good option because if one thing changed on one title block, that doesn't mean it changed on another. If you have them all linked together with an xref, it would be a pain to go find the ones you didn't want to change. A block would be easier to work with IMO.

One should only keep the boiler plate stuff, and things that change across the whole project at one time in the xref. You can handle the rest any way you want. My point is that things like the project name, company info, client info, logo, size and shape of the title block stay constant.

if 10 out of 100 title blocks change, then you have to spend the time making sure that only those 10 changed and not all 100.

 

If that is the case then the change is not made to the title block XREF and could be done with a script as you are doing. IMHO, you should check your work either way. The XREF doesn't have to be stuff that appears on every sheet either. A little layer management controls the visibility of key plans and/or scale bars. I'm not saying it is better than your method, just trying to point out a method that is tried and true and is used widely. Out of the all companies that I have had the "pleasure" of working with in my position, I can name at least ten that use XREFs for their title blocks for every one that uses blocks. Most people that work in a consulting environment are familiar with using XREFs for backgrounds and those methods transfer quite well to title blocks. It may be different in your line of work but, in my opinion, the benefits of using XREFs far out way the use of blocks.